AMBIEs Awards Luncheon

It is so wonderful to see everyone, all the newer GSAs along with the seasoned ones. Love this group!  Thank you, Michelle!

I believe our goal as an organization, my take on our mission, is to provide our guests, our communities, our tourism friends, and our state & airport the best possible services & experiences we can give (along with lots of smiles).  The key to achieving that goal is to continue to gather an amazing group of volunteers and provide them the best training, ongoing educational programs, encouragement, support, and tools we possibly can.  Then we all stand back and watch while our volunteers make the Granite State Ambassador Organization shine! And boy do we ever!

So, to do that, we have our finances…  For our expenses, I’ll put them into 3 buckets. First, the people… Kelly’s salary of course, then part time help for Admin & Event Management Support, financial services (Michelle), accounting, etc. Then there is our overhead … supplies, software, Rent, payroll, insurance, …it goes on. The last bucket is what we do directly for the volunteers…the Ambies luncheon, shirts, awards, badges, training, etc.

Our major source of revenue comes from our fantastic partners, the NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development and the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

The remaining third of our income comes from a combination of other sources. We have our member centers and special events; the Farm, Forest & Garden which we manage and then whatever else we can raise (for example the auction). Lastly but extremely vital are the generous donations from our GSAs and friends. They make the difference! Thank you so much!

How we make all of this add up has been evolving over the years. For example… we used to have 2 big events for GSAs, the Ambies & a Holiday Party which were entirely sponsored by our Tourism Friends. As the industry changed, we had to shift, putting Ambies in our budget. And now our second event, Founders Day, is self-paid by our GSAs.

It is an ongoing and challenging juggling act to maintain and grow our revenue but also find more ways to leverage the resources we have. One of those has been to get GSAs more involved. You have already seen some of that, with admin shifts at our office and GSA tour / shift captains to provide staff relief. Stay tuned, there’s more to come!

Thankfully, we have Kelly, an excellent juggler. Her ability to “juggle’ and come up with ways to achieve our objectives and produce great side benefits is amazing.

Then there is all that Kelly handles day to day. Talk about juggling, it is at times incredible what she handles.  I got a glimpse when I was filling in while she was on vacation. Of course, she had the schedule cleared and folks aware so there wasn’t a lot that came up. The number of balls she keeps in the air, expertly, is very impressive.

Thank you, Kelly, for all your passion, expertise, energy, and time! You are amazing and we appreciate you so much!! And thank you to the board and all my fellow GSAs for all you do, you are the best!!

Kelly Bryer, Executive Director

With the deepest sincerity, I find it impossible to adequately express the profound admiration and appreciation I hold for each and every one of you. Over the past few years, we’ve shared a journey filled with challenges, and your unyielding generosity, kindness, extraordinary patience, and unwavering commitment have been the cornerstones of not just our survival but our thriving. 

As for our recovery, Holy Cow, we did it! We are back in full force. To keep it apples to apples… from Jan – Sept in 2019, we had 311 GSAs serve 15,167 hours. The same time period Jan – Sept 2023, 312 GSAs served 17,941 hours. We now track educational hours and so far in 2023, 149 GSAs earned 1471 educational hours. When you account for this change in what we track, we are still up an additional 1303 hours from Jan-Sept 2019! We still have the entire 4th quarter to add to our totals.

This year we certified 111 new GSAs between in-person classes and the online option. We used to average 75-80 a year. Now, to talk about the enthusiasm of these new GSAs. I used to order 25-30 permanent badges a year. This year, I ordered a whopping 67!

In your respective roles, you have brought unique skills and an unparalleled dedication that has indelibly shaped the tourism industry, influencing how guests perceive the beautiful state of New Hampshire and its wonderful residents.

As you are well aware, you all hold a special place in my heart, and the board shares in the commitment to ensure the lasting presence of Granite State Ambassadors. This organization is not only a significant asset to the tourism industry but also a cherished support community of friends. Personally, during the challenging times of the pandemic, I found solace in this incredible community, much as I believe many of you did.

Sue has rightly mentioned that we operate on a very modest budget, stretching every dollar of revenue to benefit the organization, our dedicated volunteers, and the broader tourism industry. Each decision is meticulously considered to align with our culture and the spirit of Yankee frugality.

The advent of the pandemic brought about significant changes, catalyzing an evolution in our operational, training, and volunteer program models. In the coming months, we invite you to stay tuned for surveys and meetings – because this organization is truly yours, and we can’t navigate this transition without your invaluable feedback. As a glimpse into what’s on the horizon, our certification trainings will adopt a new format, offering smaller, more digestible segments of information and beginning more frequently, so your friends and family won’t have to wait six months to join the fun. Moreover, learning opportunities will be more GSA-led, giving you a greater say in the topics and your active participation. My office has moved out of my home after 21 years and into a space in Campton. I knew we had a lot of stuff, but I didn’t realize just how much until I filled 2 office rooms and a basement storage area! This new office space allows for GSAs to help with administrative tasks and I need to give a major shout-out and hearty thank you to my new office volunteers. They have been key to making our auction and this event happen this year! To avoid any confusion, our legal address will remain Michelle’s Goffstown office along with my home office address. 

Exciting news on the horizon includes the development of a new website and custom-built volunteer software, aimed at simplifying your sign-up for opportunities and reporting your hours. 

In conclusion, your service is a cherished gift, and our gratitude knows no bounds. Your spirit of altruism and volunteerism shines brilliantly, casting a warm and inviting light on the path ahead. Together, we look forward to a brighter future for Granite State Ambassadors.

Ginks Leiby, Vice Chair – Development Committee Chair

As a special thank you for our part in the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport’s recent #1 Domestic Airport by Travel & Leisure, they are giving all active MHT GSAs a free commemorative uniform shirt. If you are an MHT volunteer, fill out the form at https://www.surveyhero.com/c/mht-shirt to get yours delivered to the MHT info booth.

Merrium Webster defines emeritus as: a person retired from professional life but permitted to retain as an honorary title the rank of the last office held. Peter Morgan, one of our three co-founders, in good retirement fashion, is in warmer climes today and unable to be with us. But Judi and I are here to honor Peter and bestow the honor of emeritus status.

New Hampshire Granite State Ambassadors have been welcoming the World to New Hampshire since 1996, but none of what we have done would have happened without Peter. It was Peter’s problem solving, creative, out-of-the-box thinking that connected Manchester volunteer extraordinaire (me) with a Hospitality and Tourism Educator (Bill) to, in classic and frugal Granite State style do what city convention bureaus, destination marketing associations, and state tourism agencies do with big budgets funded by (dare I say the word) rooms, meals and sales taxes.

Peter was at the time the owner-operator of the Highlander Inn & Conference Center and a successful private airport parking facility, businesses he ran for 25 years. Peter is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a long-time entrepreneur and real estate investor. Peter’s business acumen and optimism, coupled with Bill’s hospitality management, training and higher education experience, 

  …and Judi’s “Alway’s Sunny in New Hampshire” passion, organization, and making volunteering as an ambassador a grand adventure…gave birth and has made this unusual award-winning organization what it is today. While the three of us are quite different, we bring complimentary skills and temperament that while our professional roles have shifted over the years, we have shared in parenting this organization from birth, through uncertain growing years, to today, 27 years of collaborationPeter’s work shaping  our mission of meeting and exceeding the informational needs of guests and residents of the State of New Hampshire; our core-values of volunteerism, participation, and cooperation through citizen responsibility and care for our living landscape, means that his and Granite State Ambassador’s legacy is the believe that New Hampshire will only be a good place to visit if it continues to be a good place to live.

It is our pleasure to bestow emeritus status on our co-founder: Peter A. Morgan.

The Service award is given to the GSA that serves the GSA program by volunteering their time with enthusiasm. They are someone who shares their training expertise with others, while still continuing to learn about the state of New Hampshire through GSA special events, tours, and specialized trainings.

This GSA volunteers at many events, often for many hours, but is often the first one to say, ‘just call if you need me.’  Her enthusiasm is matched by her flexibility as a GSA, gladly accepting any modifications that are often needed in scheduling volunteers. She continues to learn about NH and by last year had visited all 275 NH State Historical markers then in existence.  She often volunteers multiple days per week at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport where she is known for handing out toy airplanes to children, much to their delight, and appreciation of their parents.  At the airport, she’s willing to work in the booth, a walk-about, on the secure side of the airport or help with organizational tasks. She became a GSA in 2019 and has over 1400 hours.

For her willingness to volunteer wherever she is needed and her expertise while doing it, we award the 2023 Service Award to Leigh Polish.

Hospitality from the Heart Award – Sarah Brown

This GSA is often cited for her incredible knowledge of things to see and do in New Hampshire.  Her suggestions have enriched many visitors’ stays and have helped GSAs learn new things, too.  She is a quiet presence in any volunteer situation, and she tends to do what is needed, without anyone asking.  Her GSA activities go beyond volunteering at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, State House and events.  Since becoming a GSA in 2011, she has also been very involved in the Social Committee making arrangements for gatherings and has also attended many educational opportunities. , In 2020, she also won a GSA Merit Award for the many blogs she wrote during a time when GSAs were not seeing as much of each other, and appreciated that virtual contact.

For providing such outstanding service and hospitality to whomever she meets, and always doing it with kindness and caring, this year’s Hospitality from the Heart Award is given to Sarah Brown.

Gretchen Ziegler, Granite State Tourism Champion Award – Bob Spoerl